Batting

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Nick Grady went 3-4 with two RBI to lead the University of Southern Maine baseball team to a 7-2 win over Bowdoin on Wednesday afternoon at Pickard Field.

The Huskies improve to 11-3 on the season with the win. The Polar Bears, who were playing their home opener, drop to 9-9 overall on the year.

Grady got the Huskies going with a two-run double in the first inning to put the visitors up early. Bowdoin chipped away at the lead with a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI groundout from Duncan Taylor and tied the game in the bottom of the third when Aaron Rosen came around to score when an errant throw got away from Southern Maine 1B Brett Barrett.

Southern Maine regained the lead in the top of the fourth, putting runners on first and third with no one out. Matt Verrier tapped an RBI grounder to second and Troy Thibodeau lifted a sacrifice fly to center to put USM on top for good. The Huskies added three insurance runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Chris Bernard, a sac fly from Verrier and a run-scoring single to left by Barrett to seal the 7-2 victory.

Tucker White and Anthony Pisa also had two-hit games for the Huskies, who got a strong start from Tyler Leavitt (2-0), who went 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run and four hits.

Bowdoin used nine different pitchers in the mid-week game, with Drew LoRusso taking the loss after allowing the two go-ahead runs in the fourth inning.

The Polar Bears will return to action Friday at Bates (3:00 p.m.) while USM hosts Salem State Thursday (3:30) in its home-opener.